The hypnotic elegance of Ana Luna isn’t simply defined by her beauty. It is her music that first and foremost draws you into her unfettered creativity. Her music in particular is noted for its melancholic exploration, in which she moves effortlessly between dream pop, alt-pop and trip hops introspective, sensual and cinematic sound. Some would say Luna’s signature sound feels out of this world and honestly you wouldn’t be wrong. With her latest single Daddy’s Empire, the Ukrainian-born, Parisian-raised and now Los Angeles-based artist, has seemingly mastered the art of atmospheric contemplation. If you’re a fan of Weyes Blood, Mitski and or Gia Ford, you’ll definitely love Luna’s lush, moody ballads.
I recently caught up with Ana to talk about the story behind her rising voice (and music) and what fans can expect from her (yet unnamed) forthcoming debut album. Here is some of what we talked about.
Ana, your music career is gaining significant momentum. Can you share a little bit about your personal life and how your journey in music began?
I knew I wanted to be an actress and a singer-songwriter from a very early age. It was one of those childhood dreams that never went away. I studied acting in college, so I’d figured I’d act first and then pursue music later on. But life has a way of being unpredictable!
One of the first songs I ever wrote was “Why Not” I wrote it when I was 17 and it was the first time I felt like I’d found my sound. I just kept on writing from there and tried not to worry about the outcome. Towards the end of college, I set out to write my debut album. I met people who I creatively aligned with and finally felt like I had all the tools to really bring my vision to life. I’ve been fully focused on music for the past year and I love being able to give it my all.
Your music blends dream pop and alt-pop with a Los Angeles swagger. Can you talk about how your upbringing in Paris shaped your musical identity?
Interestingly, I don’t think Paris itself shaped or influenced my sound much. I didn’t listen to a lot of French music growing up, but I am able to look back now and see where my love for dreamy and cinematic music stemmed from. I think I was initially drawn to these grand soundscapes because everything felt so surreal growing up and I felt a lot of intense emotions that I wanted to escape.
I think I’ve mostly been influenced by the constant movement and cultural shifts throughout my life. I was born in Ukraine, lived in Germany, went to an international school and later a French school in Paris, and eventually moved to the US for college. All of those transitions made me feel like I never fully belonged anywhere. Music, especially dreamlike, emotionally intense music, became a way for me to create my own little world.
The song Dance In A Trance deals with the desperation of heartbreak and vulnerability but ultimate empowerment. How do you balance exploring personal themes with creating stories that listeners can relate to?
With this album—which includes both singles, “Dance In A Trance” and “Daddy’s Empire”—I didn’t set out to make a record or try to be relatable. I was just going through it and needed to write. I always write knowing that my music will be out in the world one day, but the process itself is for me to work through how I’m feeling. I’m not creating fictional stories; I’m just telling mine, line by line.
So far, all my music has focused on telling a chapter of my life. Music is a very healing force for me. If I focus too much on how it will affect others, I’ll burn out from overthinking and trying too hard to connect. With that being said, of course I want people to be able to relate to my music, but I think that can only happen if I write from an honest, vulnerable place. That’s how I approach music, and what it’s always meant to me.
I’ve only just turned 23, so my sound, writing, and what I want to say is constantly evolving. Down the line, I definitely see myself exploring more fictional or character-driven storytelling. But right now, I’m still telling my own story.
In Daddy’s Empire you explore the topic of unhealthy relationships. What inspired this narrative and how do you think it resonates with listeners today?
“Daddy’s Empire” is honestly the one song that came out of anger. And for me, anger usually signals that my boundaries have been crossed. Boundaries are incredibly important but not always respected, which is something I learned through this relationship.
Whether or not you want to label it as unhealthy, for me it was more about feeling like I was the one constantly giving, like I was the energy source being drained. I saw in him a lack of introspection, a lack of a strong sense of self or the drive to actually pursue what he said he wanted. At that point in my life, I was really focused on going after what I wanted, and I think that contrast created a dynamic where I ended up feeling more like a mom than a partner. Looking back, we were so young and therefore no one was really at fault. But I’ve always had a strong sense of the qualities I value, and that mismatch in qualities led to me feeling burnt out and also making mistakes of my own in the relationship.
The song explores what it feels like to care for someone, to try to help them see themselves clearly, only for them to walk away without showing any growth or remorse. I think that’s something a lot of people can relate to. Regardless of what form immaturity takes or how it shows up, many of us have been in relationships where we wanted to help someone grow, only to be met with resistance.
Can you tell me a little bit about the power or grandeur of cinema and how it all ties in with your music? What film (soundtrack or composer) do you adore that made you want to shape music in this way?
I’m not exactly sure when my love for cinematic music started, or if I consciously set out to explore it with this album. I’ve always loved films that stir up big emotions, so maybe it comes from my acting roots or my background in musical theater. I’ve always turned to movies to either escape or see myself reflected in a character. I knew I wanted my music to feel the same way.
This album came from a very emotionally intense period of my life, and I wanted the production to reflect that weight while also keeping the vocals raw and a little imperfect. That tension between heightened emotion and everyday life is something I find really powerful. While lyrics are always my focus, I also wanted the sound to move with the same feeling and to carry the emotion in a way that feels cinematic but grounded.
You’re gearing up to release your debut album. How has that creative journey been for you?
Absolutely insane! When I first started working on the production, I had so many mixed feelings. I didn’t feel like a “real” musician because I’d studied acting, and music was always more of a side thing. So making a full album felt a bit like I was exposing my personal diary rather than creating something polished or intentional.
At the same time, I was so happy. I’ve dreamt of this for so long. I have journal entries manifesting that one day I’d meet the right people who’d believe in me and help bring my musical vision to life. Seeing that actually happen has been surreal.
I’ve learned a lot through this process, about myself and my music. Right now, I’m sitting in a bit of a contradiction: I’m proud of what we’ve made and truly excited, but I’ve lived with these songs for two years, and I’ve grown and changed so much since writing them. It’s strange to release something I don’t fully relate to anymore. But I’m learning to let go of that and trust that these songs will still find the people who need them, even if I’ve moved on from the version of myself that wrote them.
What types of topics or messages will you explore with this new record? Based on the tracks you’re released so far, each explores a different perspective of love and emotional trauma.
Each song has an introspective feel to it where I either explore what I have learned or the emotions I had not yet dealt with. These songs explore guilt, conflict, not wanting to be a caretaker in a relationship, and trying to be a good person in spite of the hurt I’ve experienced. It all ties together in the final song on the album, which I don’t want to spoil yet, but sums up the moral of the story. I never plan out my albums in a strict way, but ending it like that feels right. It opens the door for me to go even deeper in my future work, whether it’s about love or something else entirely.
It sounds like you have a strong sense of who you are and where you’re going, even as it still continues to evolve?
Honestly, no. I was actually thinking about that last week. When I was making this album, I felt like I had certainty about what sound I wanted to create, what kind of artist I am, and what “category” I wanted to fit into… but honestly now I feel a little bit lost. I have an idea of the direction I want to go in, but I’ve become so much more involved working with other musicians that it’s really opened me up to new sounds that I want to explore.
But who knows what will happen next! Maybe my next album will follow the same direction as my upcoming debut, or maybe it will be something entirely different. Only time will tell.
Finally, what do you hope listeners will take away from your moody inspective storytelling?
I hope listeners find whatever they’re looking for in my music, whether that’s a sense of catharsis by relating to the story, an escape through someone else’s experience, or a new way of seeing themselves and their relationships.
Rearview Mirror 
She’s a deeply thoughtful person. I especially appreciated what she said about creating her own personal dreamworld through music.
Ana’s a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice, and is very thoughtful, introspective and self-aware for someone still quite young.